The mistakes need avoid when joining the online community

If you already own a brand, you probably already have a community to use the trademark on the Internet or you are trying to build a community like that.

If you build good, this community can help you better understand and support clients strategic marketing and advertising while developing more products and related services.

Here are six mistakes to avoid if you want to use the maximum potential of this community.
Do not think you can easily engage and interact.

Management of a community requires more skills and software technology, here, technology is only auxiliary equipment. If you do not have a thorough knowledge of your business and have the skills to create lively discussions that do not overwhelm the others, you will not find more information of our customers.

Should not equate the size and operational capability.

Companies often believe that the larger community network, the more information is collected about customers. So they are trying hard to build community with thousands of members. However, in reality, the larger community activities less effective than small communities in fostering relationships between members and between members and brands. They usually involved one time, do not stick, and feel less than satisfied.

If your goal is the understanding of customers, the smaller communities and more privacy (up to 400 members) are more suitable for building and developing trust. What you need is the participation of the members, not reach a certain figure.

Do not expect the members will be mounted without requiring any benefits.

Members of the community should benefit from their participation. To maintain benefits, you need to design the mount operation (online or offline activities) to allow current members to look at labels in the context of everyday life and building relationships as well as individual work. Give them a chance to talk to each other, and with yourself again.

Do not "sell."

You'll be amazed at the number of companies to build customer communities and maintain it just to get these customers to a different sales channel. Customers will find what you want to do, and they will know when they're being cheated. They will refuse to participate when they perceive hypocrisy in selling. Build trust and your community will tell you more and even more for your purchase.

Do not drop the ball when not finished.

Please point out to members that you are listening actively, and you cherish them like this: input into the conversation, the development of comments, and let them know you will do with their contributions. The worst thing you can do is stop participating when you think you've got "the answer". Develop a long term relationship with your community. You will take a long time to get the understanding.

Do not store the data.

Do not expect to maintain the benefits you get from the community on the Internet unless you plan to exploit the lessons or organize information to suit the user. Create reports and communications plans in line with the needs of individual stakeholders in the company each from the task of market research, production management, to leading operators.

Need to hear some comments may be selected to provide customers, others need to delve into the details, while others are only interested in short lines and contractors shorthand. The member companies increasingly associated with the feedback of the community, they will increasingly find many more valuable information and rates ROI (return on investment) of your company will be.

Listen online community should not be viewed as a campaign or project, it should be imprinted with the company's culture. Perform well this will give you insight into customer and do a better job exploring and satisfying the needs of your customers.

- By Debi Kleiman Anat Keinan and the Harvard Business Publishing. Debi Kleiman is vice president of marketing at Communispace. Anat Keinan is specialized assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.